What often stands out about Wendell Carter is. . . how little you notice him.
Carter's game was never any flash. Teammates will credit him for doing all the dirty work that never shows up on a box score. It is easy to overlook the things Carter does and focus on his flaws or his box score numbers.
Sometimes Carter needs to do something loud to get noticed. Carter needs to be louder with his impact sometimes. The Orlando Magic are so much better for it.
Carter was plenty loud in Friday's 138-127 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. He dominated the interior, pinning smaller players deep in the paint, forcing contact and getting to the line and making jumpers and shots around the rim.
Carter finished with a season-high 28 points, two shy of his career high. He shot 8 for 16 from the floor and 2 for 3 from three (the miss came late as he tried to get his career high). He was 10 for 10 from the foul line, showing off his physicality and how he forced defenses to attack him.
It was a loud statement in a game where the Magic's offense had a major breakthrough.
So naturally, Carter deferred to his teammates, even after his season-best game.
"I give a lot of credit to my teammates," Carter said after Friday's win. "We just made reads. We trusted one another. Not only me but everybody had a chance to get some good looks tonight. I think that's what let us score 138. That's a hell of an offensive night for us, for sure."
Carter may not be the ideal center or the vision most have at that position. But he has remained a steady presence for the team and has put together one of his best seasons in his career.
In this year's pursuit of making the Playoffs, Carter's contributions have been vital. Even if he was not always so loud about it.
Consistently solid
Getting Wendell Carter to be loud though is the challenge for the Orlando Magic.
If there is a criticism of him, it is that he can drift and not be as impactful around the basket as centers need to be. For fans, Carter has become the focus for offseason improvements to the starting lineup. He can never provide enough.
But Carter has had a fine season, averaging 12.0 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. He is shooting 51.2 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from three. All of those numbers are up from last year's frustrating season.
On top of that, he has already played a career-high 72 games, eclipsing 70 games for the first time in his career.
Since March 1, Carter is averaging 13.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 56.5 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from three. He has found a groove as the postseason approaches.
For a team that has dealt with loads of injuries this year, Carter has been rock solid for the team. And everyone on the team credits him with doing all the dirty work that a team needs to function.
Carter may not get a lot of rebounds for a center, but he is eighth in the league with 2.4 box outs per game, clearing the way for others to attack the glass.
He may not be a great scorer, but he is 12th in the league scoring 1.15 points per possession as the roll man on pick and rolls among players with at least 2.0 possessions per game.
Carter does not stand out as a great shot blocker. But opponents make only 60.9 percent of their shots at the rim against him, a number that beats out more well-thought-of defenders like Bam Adebayo (64.4 percent) and Onyeka Okongwu (64.0 percent).
A lot of this stuff can slip under the surface. But Carter remains a key cog for the team.
When the Magic were playing their best defense of the season during the seven-game win streak, it was largely because Carter could switch onto the perimeter seamlessly and hold his own.
Most of what Carter does goes underappreciated because Carter is not getting gaudy counting stats. He can certainly still stand to improve as a shooter and rim protector.
But his teammates know how valuable he can be.
The Challenge
The challenge throughout Wendell Carter's career has been to get him to be more aggressive and assertive. He was often criticized for being passive and getting stuck in his own head.
To have a game like the one he had Friday night would take a level of aggression that he often does not display.
That was the challenge coach Jamahl Mosley said assistant coach Randy Gregory gave him before Friday's game. He was given the charge to be more aggressive and to own the paint.
"It's big time. His presence at the rim is great for us," Mosley said after Friday's win. "He's one of the most selfless guys we have because he is just trying to do the right thing by this team. When he does that, the guys celebrate him to make sure he gets touches on the back end as well."
Mosley challenged his whole team publicly after Wednesday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks to play harder and bring effort. Effort that has too ofen been missing this season.
Carter answered that bell with his physicality from the start and his presence around the rim. Other players like Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane played with more pace and force throughout the game.
It was clear Carter had a different energy about him from the jump to own the paint. He got to the line for 10 free throws and seven of his 16 field goal attempts, including four of his eight makes, came in the restricted area.
"That's the beauty of this team," Carter said after Friday's win. "Top to bottom, we've got guys who can go get it any night. When we play free, and we play as one unit, I think we are one of the most dangerous teams in the league. If we can continue to do that for these last couple of games, we'll be in a good spot for the Playoffs and give us a really good chance."
The Orlando Magic won running away, building as much as a 30-point lead early in the fourth quarter to coast to the end -- despite Cooper Flagg scoring 24 of his 51 points in the final quarter.
As is often the case, the Magic got a lot of that energy and solidified themselves thanks to Carter and his steady presence.
When he is playing with energy and aggression, the whole team can typically follow.
He has done most of his work this season in teh background. Friday was his turn to make some noise.